This invention relates to a tiller handle for an outboard marine propulsion system and, more particularly, to the control of the shift and the throttle operations of an outboard motor.
Tiller handles have long been used to control the shift and the throttle operations of outboard marine engines. The prior art shows tiller handles wherein the throttle and shift linkage is comprised of numerous component parts. The numerous component parts lead to difficulties in assembly which increase the manufacturing costs of the engine. It is therefore desirable to develop a less complicated alternative to the throttle and shift linkage presently known.
Previous attempts to simplify tiller handle construction and operation have lead to the development of a tiller handle which utilizes a push-pull cable to control the throttle operation of an outboard marine engine. The push-pull cable slidably engages the inner surface of a rotatable, tubular member within the handle. This design has an inherent problem in that the tiller handle can only control a single function of the outboard marine engine.
It is therefore a primary objective of this invention to provide a less complex tiller handle for controlling the shift and the throttle operations of an outboard marine engine.
It is a further objective to provide a tiller handle which uses a plurality of push-pull cables to control the shift and the throttle operations of an outboard marine engine.
In accordance with the invention, a tiller handle is provided for use with push-pull cables which control the shift and the throttle operations of an outboard marine propulsion system. The tiller handle includes a housing pivotally mounted to the outboard marine propulsion system. A rotatable cam is maintained within the housing by means of a stationary cam cover. On the outer surface of the cam is a plurality of distinct cam tracks. Each track controls the position of one of the push-pull cables, which in turn controls a single operation of the outboard marine engine. Each push-pull cable is maintained within the distinct cam track by means of a bearing which slidably engages the track.
By rotating the cam in response to manual rotation of the tiller handle, each push-pull cable is actuated by movement of the bearings within the cam tracks, thereby controlling the corresponding operation of the outboard marine engine.
A drive tube extends through the housing, and is interconnected with the rotatable cam such that the rotation of the drive tube in turn rotates the cam and actuates the push-pull cables. A limiter prevents the unlimited rotation of the drive tube so as to maintain operation of the outboard marine engine within predetermined limits.